Radiation-emitting and/or -receiving semiconductor chips are conventionally attached by a gluing process to so-called pre-encapsulated leadframes, which are made by molding over a chip mounting area with a plastic encapsulant.
In the known package designs the semiconductor chip is mounted on the leadframe by gluing, since this eliminates the high temperatures that are necessary for soldering processes and that can damage the plastic encapsulant.
Due to the very good electrical and thermal conductivity required for the connection between the semiconductor chip and the leadframe, especially in the case of high-electrical-output components, a metal connection between the chip and the connector would be preferable over a glued connection. Particularly in the realm of high-output light-emitting diodes, a very good thermal connection is crucial in order to carry off the dissipated power brought in from the package and, where applicable, couple it to an external heat sink. Because of the above-cited potential for damage to the package, solder connections have heretofore not been used between the light-emitting diode (LED) chip and the leadframe in pre-injection-molded plastic encapsulants.